Over the later half of May’s weekends, Team Chicago-Recife U9 and a U10 hybrid of Team Chicag-Fluminense, Brasil Boys, and Corinthians traveled to Decatur to compete in the Midstate Cup as well as staying closer to home for the Oswego Soccer Classic. The boys did a fantastic job displaying their skills through inconsistent weather, roster and rule changes, and other challenges that tested the boys’ technical ability, teamwork, and positional versatility.

Each team’s championship final came down to the wire in one goal or overtime thrillers, and when all was said and done they each earned one runner’s up medal and Recife came away champions at Midstate. While playing against teams that already use full-time goalies and positional players, one beautifully telling stat projects the boys’ overall knowledge and ability. Through the two tournaments, Fluminense and Recife used 9 and 8 different players in goal and had 8 and 9 different goal scorers respectively.

Congratulations to the boys and Head Coach Jesse Salazar for a great Team Chicago showing.

On a sadder note we have to announce that Coach Jesse is leaving Team Chicago. Jesse has been an integral part of Team Chicago as well as WAA soccer and PlayUSA over the past decade. Having coached everything from the youngest boys to the oldest girls in Team Chicago as well as WAA Rec and taught speed and agility classes for WAA Jesse has been an institution within the organization.

We want to thank Jesse for all his tireless work and wish him all the best in his new gig at La Grange Celtics. Jesse will be joining another former Team Chicago legend – Andrew Taylor – who is the Assistant Director of Coaching for the Celtics.

We are sad to announce that effective Monday, June 13, 2016 Boys’ U10-19 Director of Coaching Herb Schuler will be leaving Team Chicago. Herb will be moving on to become the Executive Director of Hattiesburg FC in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Herb has been an extremely valued member of our staff over the past two years, especially with his work in the newly created role of Boys’ U10-19 Director of Coaching. He has helped solidify and grow our boys’ program, and we are confident that his successor will be able to build off of the strong foundation Herb has helped put in place.

Team Chicago will undertake a national search to find its new Boys’ U10-19 Director of Coaching, and we plan to announce the new hire by mid-summer with a start date of August 1, 2016.

Herb would like to share the following words with the club:

“It pains me to leave Team Chicago. It was a very tough decision to make in the wake of the success of the Team Chicago boys’ teams over the last two years. It is a decision that was made for my family and my long-term professional growth. I also have extended family rooted in the South, so this move brings us closer to them.

My wife – former Team Chicago coach Nikki Schuler – will be a full-time teacher and soccer coach at Oak Grove H.S. Oak Grove is the high school where Brett Favre has coached the last three years.
Brett is still coaching and funding all programs.

In addition to my duties as the Executive Director of Hattiesburg FC, I will also be an Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach at William Carey University. William Carey is one of the top NAIA programs in the country and went to the NAIA Final Four last season.

My time at Team Chicago has been special and I have loved every minute of it. The people, players, and staff have been amazing and I will always look back fondly. It is a first class club and I wish the club, and in particular the boys, all the best in the future.”

We wish Herb and Nikki all the best in their new life in Mississippi and thank them for all their hard work for Team Chicago.

Team Chicago is excited to announce that Greg Frederick will be joining its staff. Greg comes from Bolingbrook Raiders Soccer Club where he has been a very successful coach for the past four years. His coaching experience also includes stints at Naperville Central H.S., Illinois Math and Science Academy, and Marcus H.S. in Flower Mound, TX.

Greg played NCAA Division II soccer at McKendree University in Lebanon, IL just outside St. Louis where he earned a bachelor degree in Business Management. Outside of coaching soccer, Greg owns his own company – The Pickle Guy Inc. – which is headquartered in Lisle, IL.